This is an attractive plant that adapts well to flower gardens. The Michigan Lily can be distinguished from Lilium superbum (Turk's Cap Lily) as follows: 1) the former species has a more northern distribution in Illinois, 2) the anthers of the former are ½" or less, while the anthers of the latter species are ½" or longer, 3) the former has yellow bulbs, while the latter has white bulbs, 4) the tips of the tepals of the former curve backward toward the base of the flower, while in the latter species they curve backward considerably beyond the base of the flower, and 5) specimens of the latter species may have a conspicuous 6-pointed green star at the base of the flower, although it is not always present.

This native perennial plant is up to 5' tall and unbranched, except at the inflorescence. The central stem is round and smooth. The leaves usually occur in whorls of 3-7 along the stem, although some of the upper leaves may occur along the stem in pairs or alternate individually. The leaves are individually up to 5" long and ¾" across. They are lanceolate or narrowly ovate, with smooth margins and parallel venation. Above the terminal leaves of the central stem, 1-6 flowers hang downwad from stalks about 3-5" long that spread upward and outward. Some flowering stalks may also appear from the axils of the upper leaves. Each showy flower is about 2½-3" across, with 6 tepals that flare outward and then curve strongly backward toward the base of the flower. These tepals are yellowish to reddish orange, and have numerous brownish purple dots toward the throat of the flower. The stamens are conspicuous and strongly exerted from the throat of the flower, with reddish brown anthers that are ½" or less. A long white stigma with a curves slightly upward; it has a yellow tip. The blooming period occurs from early to mid-summer, and lasts about a month. There is no noticeable floral scent. The oblong 3-lobed seedpods contain closely stacked, flat seeds with thin papery wings – this enables them to be carried some distance by gusts of wind. The root system consists of a yellow bulb and rhizomes, from which new offsets may form.

Lilium michiganense Farw.:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)

Lilium canadense subsp. michiganense (Farw.) B. Boivin & Cody:
United States (North America)

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

The Michigan Lily occurs occasionally in scattered counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is the most common native Lily. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, openings in floodplain forests, thickets, Bur Oak savannas, moist meadows along rivers, swamps, fens, and prairie remnants along railroads.

Lilium michiganense and L. superbum as subspecies of L. canadense on the basis of overall similarity, though it is now well accepted that L. superbum does not belong there. There can be little doubt as to the close relationship between L. michiganense and L. canadense, however, and vegetatively the two are often indistinguishable. Hybrid intermediates occur across a wide band where the distributions meet in central Ohio and northwestern New York (R. M. Adams and W. J. Dress 1982). It would not be unreasonable to include L. grayi and treat them as subspecies, but floral differences among the three are comparable to those between other species in the genus. 

 Farwell’s proposed varieties uniflorum and umbelliferum were described from young plants with single flowers and umbellate inflorescences respectively, but young plants with these characteristics are found throughout the range of this species.  Plants examined from east-central Tennessee (e.g., Wayne and Coffee counties) that were previously referred to Lilium michiganense are L. superbum in some cases, in others L. canadense perhaps introgressed with L. michiganense.  The Michigan lily often co-occurs in tallgrass prairies with Lilium philadelphicum; here as everywhere it usually blooms much later. However, it flowers earlier than L. canadense where their ranges are contiguous in Ohio (E. L. Braun 1967).  Lilium michiganense is pollinated primarily by swallowtail butterflies; in the southern part of its range these include the pipevine [Battus philenor (Linnaeus), family Papilionidae]. Great spangled fritillaries [Speyeria cybele (Fabricius), family Nymphalidae] also visit this species and carry its pollen, though it is unlikely that this brushfooted butterfly is a major pollinator.

Bulbs usually yellowish, rhizomatous, unbranched, 1.6–5.8 × 4.9–14.1 cm, 0.3–0.5 times taller than long, 2 years’ growth evident as annual bulbs, scaleless sections between these 2.6–6.2 cm; scales unsegmented, longest 1–3 cm; stem roots present or absent. Stems to 1.9 m. Buds rounded in cross section. Leaves in 4–12 whorls or partial whorls, 3–13 leaves per whorl, ± horizontal or ascending in sun, drooping at tips, 4.6–15.3 × 0.6–2.3 cm, 3.5–13.7 times longer than wide; blade narrowly elliptic, occasionally linear or slightly lanceolate, margins not undulate, apex acute, acuminate in distal leaves; principal and some secondary veins impressed adaxially, veins and margins noticeably roughened abaxially with tiny ± deltoid epidermal spicules, especially on proximal leaves. Inflorescences racemose, 1–11-flowered. Flowers ± pendent, not fragrant; perianth Turk’s-cap-shaped; sepals and petals reflexed 1/4–2/5 along length from base, yellow-orange or sometimes orange-yellow or orange proximally, red-orange distally, with maroon, often large spots, red-orange or occasionally red or orange-red abaxially, not distinctly clawed; sepals not ridged abaxially, 5.5–9.3 × 1.2–2 cm; petals 5.3–9.1 × 1.5–2.2 cm; stamens moderately exserted; filaments parallel at first, then ± widely spreading, diverging 13°–23° from axis, pale yellow-green; anthers magenta or occasionally pink-magenta, 0.6–1.3 cm; pollen orange-rust, sometimes orange, rust, or rust-brown; pistil 3.4–6.5 cm; ovary 1.5–2.9 cm; style red entirely or only distally; pedicel 11–22 cm. Capsules 2.8–5 × 1.5–2.6 cm, 1.4–2.8 times longer than wide. Seeds not counted. 2n = 24.

Lilium canadense Linnaeus subsp. michiganense (Farwell) B. Boivin & Cody; L. canadense var. umbelliferum (Farwell) B. Boivin; L. michiganense var. umbelliferum Farwell; L. michiganense var. uniflorum Farwell

Flowering summer (mid Jun--Jul). Tallgrass prairies, streamsides, swamps and bottoms, moist woodland edges, lakeshores, ditches along roads and railways, often calciphilic; 100--600 m; Ont.; Ark., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., Mich., Minn., Mo., Nebr., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., S.Dak., Tenn., Wis.

The Michigan Lily occurs occasionally in scattered counties of Illinois (see Distribution Map). It is the most common native Lily. Habitats include moist black soil prairies, openings in floodplain forests, thickets, Bur Oak savannas, moist meadows along rivers, swamps, fens, and prairie remnants along railroads.

Lilium michiganense (Michigan Lily)
(Butterflies suck nectar; observations are from Robertson)

Butterflies
Nymphalidae: Danaus plexippus, Speyeria cybele; Papilionidae: Papilio troilus

Cross-pollination is required for fertile seeds. The large showy flowers appear to be designed to attract hummingbirds and larger day-flying insects, such as Sphinx moths, Hummingbird moths, long-tongued bees, and the larger butterflies. Charles Wilson in Flowers and Insects (1928) observed the Greater Fritillary, Monarch, and Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies as occasional visitors to Lilium superbum, which was probably Lilium michiganense, as the former species doesn't occur near Carlinville, Illinois. Larger herbiovores, such as deer and livestock, will consume mature plants, while immature plants are vulnerable to small herbivores. Small rodents may eat the bulbs.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

The preference is full or partial sun, rich loamy soil, and moist conditions. An established plant, however, can withstand some drought. Growing this plant from seed is slow and difficult, but relatively easy from bulbs or transplants. There is some tendency to flop over if there is inadequate support from neighboring plants.